Termite shield



May 14, 1963 J. D. TENNISON TERMITE SHIELD Original Filed Nov. 30, 1950INVENTOR.

J. D. TENNISON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,282 TERMITE SHIELDJames D. Tennison, 450 N. Beilevue, Memphis, Tenn. Original applicationNov. 30, 1950, Ser. No. 198,359, now Patent No. 2,674,765, dated Apr.13, 1954. Divided and this application Apr. 12, 1954, Ser. No. 422,555

2 Claims. (Cl. 50-73) This invention relates to termite shields and moreparticularly to a lock joint whereby a plurality of such shields may bereadily and conveniently assembled without requiring the use of specialor other tool-s, equipment, or other materials.

The instant application is a division of co-pending application SerialNo. 198,359, filed November 30, 1950, and now Patent No. 2,674,765.

Termite shields of the character with which we are here concerned arepresently employed with increasing success in the protection of woodenportions of buildings or other structures against the destructive actionof termites and other wood boring insects. The necessity for suchprotection is particularly great in structures having no basement, orsubterranean portion, where wooden foundations are in contact with orsubstantially close to the ground.

Concrete or similar footings are generally employed, in structures ofthis character, and for effective protection against termites and otherinsects, metallic shields are positioned either within or above thesefootings with the wooden rafters, joists, and the like, supportedthereabove. For convenience of installation as well as economy ofmanufacture these metallic termite shields have generally been providedin convenient, fixed lengths and, since the structure walls are of muchgreater extent than the conventional lengths of such shield-s, aplurality of shields are appropriately assembled and installed inaccordance with the size of the structure and the length of the wallsthereof. For effective results, such assembly requires a particularlysecure joint between adjacent shields and various methods have beenemployed to attain this end.

Present day practices call for 1a soldered joint, which is particularlyexpensive, or for the use of resilient and frictional connectingmembers, the latter method adding materially to the expense ofinstallation, requiring the manufacture of relatively costly connectingelements and skilled labor for the assembly thereof at the site of theconstruction.

The majority of such connectors as are manufactured in accordance withprior art teachings have proven unsatisfactory in actual practice,either by reason of an ineffective joint or through deterioration at thejoint through the action of the elements.

A generally satisfactory termite shield comprises a metallic sheethaving corrosion resistant properties and which projects in asubstantially horizontal direction a minimum of two inches beyond eachside of a Vertically disposed foundation wall or footing, thelongitudinal edges of the shield being bent downwardly at an angle onthe order of 45 from the horizontal, the width of such bent or angularlyinclined portions also being approximately two inches. Thus, since eachshield extends transversely in a horizontal direction and inclinesdownwardly at opposite sides or edges thereof, the provision of aneffective locking joint at the points where angular inclinationcommence-s is inherently difficult. Moreover, since in the majority ofinstances the weight of the structure is supported at least in part uponthe horizontally disposed portions of the joints, a degree of distortiontakes place, where separate resilient or frictional connecting elementsare employed, which is adverse to the effectiveness of the seal adjacentthe outer or inclined portions of each joint.

Accordingly, it is a major object of the present inven- 3,089,282Patented May 14, 1963 2 tion to provide a novel joint for termiteshields whereby a plurality of individual shields may be rapidly andconveniently assembled with no requirement for the use of tools, othermaterials, or particularly skilled labor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a noveltermite shield manufactured with a joint as an integral portion of theextremity thereof so that opposed extremities of adjacent shields may beinterengaged, providing an efficient and secure lock therebetween.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel lockjoint for termite shields which will extend transversely across saidshields for the entire width thereof, including horizontally disposedcentral portion and downwardly inclined edges.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an efficientand resilient lock joint for the extremities of terrnite shields wherebyfrictional engagement is had across the entire width of the shield andfor a substantial area thereof, such frictional engagement beinginherent to the method of fabrication of the locking extremities of theshields.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide anefficient and resilient lock joint for the extremr ities of termiteshields which will be equally applicable for use upon shields of varyingsurface conformation including, among others, shields having straightlongitudinal axes, shields having arcuate longitudinal axes, right-angleshields intended for use at the corners of structures, and T-sh-apedshields intended for use at the juncture of side and transversefootings.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating in expandedrelationship the opposed extremities of adjacent termite shield sectionswhere one extremity of each shield section is provided with the novellock joint of the instant invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the extremitiesof the shield sections disclosed in FIG. 1 in engaged position;

FIG. 3, an enlarged detail sectional view somewhat similar to FIG. 2,illustrating a further modified form of termite shield and joint; and

FIG. 4, a perspective view on a somewhat reduced scale of a termiteshield section having a lock joint at but one extremity and providedwith a single downwardly inclined edge portion.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the termite shieldsection includes a horizontally disposed central portion 10 and inclinededge portions 11 which extend downwardly from the horizontal, at anangle on the order of 45. Desirably, the width of the central portion 10of the shield is sufiicient to extend a minimum of two inches beyond thevertical walls of the footing of other structural element upon which theshield is intended to be mounted. The width of each of the downwardlyinclined portions 11 is also preferably two inches, dimensions of thischaracter having proven entirely adequate and being in excess of thatwhich may be traversed by a termite in direct flight. The length of eachtermite section is such as to permit of convenient handling, withoutundue weight, and may be either standardized or in accordance with theparticular structure. If desired, but a single inclined surface 11 maybe provided, located on but one side of the shield section, as will bediscussed more fully hereinafter. However, for purposes of illustration,two such surfaces have been disclosed in FIG. 1.

The extremity 12 of the shield section is of downwardly directedgenerally S-shaped conformation, the shield section being bent tbackwandly upon itself to provide a trans- 3 verse arcuate end portion 13and an upwardly directed intermediate leg portion 14, the portion thusdefined being intended for frictional engagement with the opposedextremity of the adjacent shield section.

The upper extremity of the leg 14 frictionally engages the under surfaceof the shield section and the shield sec tion is then bent reverselyupon itself to provide a transverse arcuate end portion 15 and thehorizontally disposed terminal leg 16 of the S-joint. Preferably the leg16 is disposed in substantial parallelism with respect to the shieldproper and extends beyond the arcuate end 13, the upper surface of thisleg frictionally engaging the lower surface of the intermediate leg 14at the point of juncture with the transverse arcuate extremity 13. Bythe arrangement thus described, spaces 17 and 18 are provided above andbelow the intermediate leg 14, respectively, for a purpose to bediscussed more fully hereinafter.

One end of each shield section is provided with the S- shaped extremitydescribed in detail hereabove, the opposed extremity 45 remaining in therespective planes of the central portion and inclined edge portions 11.

With the form of shield section thus described, assembly of adjacentsections is a particularly simple matter. The extremity 45 of onesection becomes a male element receivable frictionally within a femaleelement formed by the upwardly directed intermediate leg 14, the arcuateend portion 15, and the horizontally disposed terminal leg 16 of theS-joint of the adjacent shield section, as indicated at 18. Since, inmanufacture, the upper surface of the terminal leg 16 frictionallyengages the lower surface of the intermediate leg 14 at the point ofjuncture with the arcuate extremity 13, secure frictional engagement ofthe shield extremity 45 along the entire length of the terminal leg 16is assured and a highly effective frictional joint is thus obtained. Itwill be readily understood that the joint thus described is susceptibleof ready assembly and secure frictional engagement between adjacentextremities of shield sections is insured. Moreover, with this form ofjoint, a heavier gauge of metal may be employed, if desired, than hasbeen practicable heretofore, since the insertion of the male extremity45 into the S-joint 12 requires no such expansion of the female elementas to result in any substantial distortion.

In the modified form of termite shield section illustrated in FIG. 3 ofthe drawings, the S-joint has been disclosed as offset upwardly from theplane of the shield proper so that the underside of the shield, intendedto rest upon a footing or the like, will be substantially flush. Thismodified form of shield section includes a horizontally disposed centralportion 50 and downwardly inclined edge portions 51, one extremity 52the shield section being of generally S-shaped conformation. Eachshieldsection 50 is provided with an upwardly offset and outwardlyangularly inclined portion 53 extending transversely of the shieldsection adjacent one extremity thereof. The upper extremity of theoffset portion 53 merges into the upper leg 54 of the S-joint, the leg54 being horizontally disposed and in substantial parallelism withrespect to the respective planes of the central portion 50 and inclinededge portions 51. At the outer extremity of the leg 54 the shieldsection is bent backwardly upon itself to provide an arcuate end 55 andan upwardly directed intermedate leg 56, similar to the arcuateextremity 13 and intermediate leg 14, respectively, previouslydescribed.

Preferably the upper extremity of the leg 56 frictionally engages theunder surface of the shield section which is then bent reversely uponitself to provide an arcuate end 57 and the horizontally disposedterminal leg 58 of the S-joint. Desirably the leg 58 is disposed insubstantially the same plane as the central portion 50 and is thus inparallelism with both the shield section and the primary leg 54 of thejoint. By the arrangement thus described, spaces 59 and 64;,respectively, are provided above and below the intermediate leg 56, thespace 64) becoming a female element intended for the secure frictionalreceps tion of the opposed extremity 61 of the adjacent shield section.

The arrangement thus described provides for a substantially flush bottomsurface insofar as connected shield sections are concerned, aparticularly desirable feature under certain structural conditions orcircumstances.

It will be obvious that, if desired, an S-joint 52 may be provided ateach edge of the shield section and, Where such joints are mirror imagesof each other, the lock or frictional joints described in connectionwith the aforementioned co-pending application may be employed, and sucharrangements are well within the scope of the present invention.However, for simplicity of installation it has been found desirable tohave a joint on but one extremity of each shield section, employing themethod of frictional assembly illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 of thedrawing.

It is also Within the scope of the invention to provide termite shieldsections provided with an inclined edge portion on but one longitudinaledge thereof. Such a section has been illustrated in 'FIG. 4 where theshield section includes a horizontally disposed portion 62 and a singledownwardly inclined edge portion 63. One extremity of the shieldterminates in a downwardly directed substantially S-shaped joint 64,similar to the joint 12 described hereabove, and the opposite extremity65 of the shield section is intended for frictional engagement withinthe S-joint of the adjacent shield section. Shield sections of thischaracter are installed in the conventional manner with the inclinededge generally located on the side of a footing or the like removed fromany wall structure. Thus the horizontally disposed edge of the sectionsmay be received within wall structure or, where necessary, angularlydeformed to comply with specific structural necessity. Obviously, theforms of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4 of thedrawings may be fabricated with but a single inclined edge without inany manner departing from the inventive concept.

It will be readily apparent that termite shield sections, whether ofstandardized construction or specially fabricated in accordance withspecific or unusual structural requirements, may be manufactured enmasse in accordance with the present inventive concept and may bereadily and conveniently assembled at the site of the structure,requiring neither special tools, additional materials, or unusuallyskilled labor. The structure is such that permanently effective jointsare provided, insuring against deterioration at the joint per se,heretofore the weakest point of shields of the character with which weare here concerned.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in this device without departing from the spirit of theinvention and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshown in the drawing and described in the specification but only asindicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A termite shield section having a central horizontally disposedportion and at least one inclined side portion said central horizontallydisposed portion extending continuously in a single plane to oneextremity of the shield section and providing a male element, theopposite extremity of said section being of generally S-shapedeonformation, said extremity being bent downwardly and reversely uponitself to provide a first transverse arcuate end portion and an upwardlyinclined intermediate leg portion, the upper extremity of saidintermediate leg portion frictionally engaging the under surface of saidshield section, said intermediate leg portion being bent downwardly andreversely upon itself to provide a second transverse arcuate end portionand a terminal leg of suflicient length to extend beyond said firsttransverse arcuate end portion, the upper surface of said terminal legfrictionally engaging the lower surface of said first arcuate endportion, said upwardly inclined intermediate leg portion and terminalleg together with the arcuate end portion therebetween comprising afemale element for the frictional reception and secure retention of theopposed extremity of an adjacent shield section, said 8- shapedextremity being upwardly offset from the plane of the horizontallydisposed central portion of said shield so that said horizontallydisposed portion and said terminal leg portion lie in the samehorizontal plane.

2. A joint :for a termite shield formed from a plurality of shieldsections, each section having a central horizontally disposed portionand at least one downwardly inclined side portion said centralhorizontally disposed portion extending continuously in a single planeto one extremity of the shield section and providing a male element, theopposite extremity of each section being upwardly offset and ofgenerally S-shaped conformation, said extremity being bent downwardlyand reversely upon itself to provide a first arcuate end portion and anupwardly inclined intermediate leg portion, the upper extremity of saidintermediate leg portion frictionally engaging the under surface of saidshield section, said intermediate leg portion being bent downwardly andreversely upon itself to provide a second transverse arcuate end portionand a terminal leg of suflicient length to extend beyond said firsttransverse arcuate end portion, the upper surface of said terminal legfrictionally engaging the lower surface of said first transverse arcuateend portion, each upwardly inclined intermediate leg portion andterminal leg together with the arcuate end portion therebetweencomprising a female element for the frictional reception and secureretention of the extremity of the adjacent shield section when inassembled position, each S-shaped extremity of a shield section beingupwardly offset from the plane of the horizontally disposed centralportion of said section a snflicient distance so that the terminal leglies in a horizontal plane indentical to that of the central portion ofsaid shield section, the male element of one section engaging within thefemale element of the adjacent section to create a slip jointtherehetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS835,818 Divver Nov. 13, 1906 1,091,049 Edwards Mar. 24, 1914 2,150,891Tennison Mar. 14, 1939 2,674,765 Tennison Apr. 12, 1954

1. A TERMITE SHIELD SECTION HAVING A CENTRAL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSEDPORTION AND AT LEAST ONE INCLINED SIDE PORTION SAID CENTRAL HORIZONTALLYDISPOSED PORTION EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY IN A SINGLE PLANE TO ONEEXTREMITY OF THE SHIELD SECTION AND PROVIDING A MALE ELEMENT, THEOPPOSITE EXTREMITY OF SAID SECTION BEING OF GENERALLY S-SHAPEDCONFORMATION, SAID EXTREMITY BEING BENT DOWNWARDLY AND REVERSELY UPONITSELF TO PROVIDE A FIRST TRANSVERSE ARCUATE END PORTION AND AN UPWARDLYINCLINED INTERMEDIATE LEG PORTION, THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAIDINTERMEDIATE LEG PORTION FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAIDSHIELD SECTION, SAID INTERMEDIATE LEG PORTION BEING BENT DOWNWARDLY ANDREVERSELY UPON ITSELF TO PROVIDE A SECOND TRANSVERSE ARCUATE END PORTIONAND A TERMINAL LEG OF